School Mode.

Hello Thursday night. I'm bummed that there are no more new episodes of The Office anymore. The season finale was so good , though. I rarely watch TV, but you guys know I love my Office.

I'm in school mode right now so most of my posts will be centered around thoughts pertaining to my various school mentalities and reflections, whether it be teaching school or grad school. It's always school, school, school, huh?? I have exactly one week to get a ton of stuff done to wrap up this year. I know I'm farther ahead than I was last year at this time, although, no matter how hard I try to keep up, it just seems increasingly more difficult. I worked so hard this weekend. Grading stuff, averaging grades, filling out report cards, and preparing for my grad class. I'm sorry if it just seems like I complain. I wouldn't categorize much of it as complaining. It's a continuing analysis of how my life is operating. Why does it seem that others are able to have a life? Do I expect too much of myself? (I've had many people tell me this is the case) I want to work hard and do my best. I feel like this job is so completely draining that it's almost impossible to stay on top of everything and maintain any type of sanity. I guess I feel a little better when I see people with much more experience than me expressing the same types of thoughts and emotions, also.

I know I can do this. I have done this. In one week, I can say that I've successfully completed two years of teaching in my own classroom. That's some cool stuff. I've worked hard and I'm looking forward to gaining more experience and expanding my teaching abilities. I want to be that teacher. The one that you remember for all the good things. How she treated you. How she made you feel. Knowing that she valued you as a person and worked as best as she could to share her depth of knowledge with a sense of caring that dominates the atmosphere of the classroom. Yeah ... I want that to be me.

Teaching is leaving a vestige of one self in the development of another. And surely the student is a bank where you can deposit your most precious treasures. ~Eugene P. Bertin

Who dares to teach must never cease to learn. ~John Cotton Dana

A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron. ~Horace Mann